Elden Ring Nightreignwas always going to be a strange one. It isn’tFromSoftware’s first go around at online multiplayer. The developer has been innovating in the space for years with nuanced PvP in everything fromDark SoulstoBloodbornewhile also making use of a messaging system we have seen revolutionise the exploration of fantastical open worlds in recent years.
The original game is also a masterpiece that felt fully featured from the very first day, improving withShadow of the Erdtreeexpanding upon The Lands Between with an extra helping of locations to explore and bosses to conquer. So, when multiplayer-focused Nightreign was revealed last year to remix decades of the studio’s output into a challenging new adventure, I wasn’t sure exactly how to feel.
Elden Ring Nightreign Deserves The Benefit Of A Doubt
FromSoftware games are so appealing because of the intertwining freedom afforded to the player as they explore. While you will follow a relatively linear path of progression in most of its games, there is a liberating sense of discovery from exploring Drangleic or Yharnam as you piece together its mysteries and learn how to defeat its deadly enemies all on your own.
The option to summon NPCs or real-life players to help fend off fearsome foes is always present, but these summons are locked off to specific areas, and you will be both trusted and expected to go it alone most of the time. It’s terrifyingly compelling, so the idea of having this tried-and-tested formula transformed with not just multiplayer, but also battle royale, is a hard pill to swallow for hardcore fans like myself. But after reading our review by Soulsborne expert James Lucas, I’m going to cast all my concerns aside and try Nightreign for myself.
The game has been received well, which has been fascinating to witness. Nightreign outright forces you to play alongside two other players because the game isn’t balanced for solo play, while duos aren’t set to be added for the foreseeable future. The dynamic exploration of Elden Ring is redefined by a constantly closing circle that forces you to think fast and abandon old habits to survive in the shoes of a preset cast of characters.
FromSoftware wants to subvert the experience of what it feels like to play Elden Ring in a cheaper triple-A experience that’s been transparent about its intentions since the very beginning. Nightreign is an experimental homage to decades of From’s history remixed into a multiplayer genre it’s never tinkered with to this extent before.
The DuskbloodsforNintendo Switch 2,however, is a tiny bit different.
But The Same Can’t Be Said For The Duskbloods
Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, The Duskbloods was revealed during the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase earlier this year and immediately stole the show. At first glance, I sweareveryone thought it was Bloodborne 2. It has a similar take on gothic architecture, a beautifully solemn and melancholic atmosphere, and dark, disgusting monsters we’ll need to dispatch. It’s also being billed as a PvPvE experience, and much like Nightreign before it, is placing a massive emphasis on multiplayer rather than being a strictly single-player adventure.
I can buy into Elden Ring being spun off into a multiplayer expansion like Nightreign, but in the case of a new IP by FromSoftware, with a world and mechanics I can’t wait to explore, I feel somewhat conflicted. Miyazakitold Nintendothat, instead of taking place across a singular open world, players will instead pick from a number of vampiric archetypes, each with their own unique weapons or skills before being dropped onto a map to compete or work with other players.
They will then return to a hub area - similar in execution to the Roundtable Hold - to customise and/or upgrade their characters. Matches - if that’s what they end up being called - can also be altered by the appearance of rare monsters and unexpected events that will force players to think on their feet while also encouraging replay value. I’ll want enough reasons to jump into games again and again and again with different characters and different strategies, so I hope there is enough depth.
Each playable character also has a “blood history and fate” which ties into their lore and ways in which they can be customised from a gameplay perspective.
There is still much to learn about The Duskbloods, but it already has more to prove than Nightreign ever did. Not only is this a new gameanda new IP from the director of Dark Souls, it’s pitching itself as a multiplayer experience first and foremost, coming with all the baggage such an identity brings with it. Will this be the future of FromSoftware, or is it safe to still expect single-player adventures in the future?
And will The Duskbloods offer enough for players going it alone who’d rather explore a vast world and make discoveries their own way? Only time will tell whether it will stick the landing, and if Nightreign was a positive sign of things to come or a stark warning we should have been wise to heed.
